Don’t tolerate disregard for children

Huntsville Forester

Dear Editor... On Thursday, March 22, I went to the Independent Grocer in Bracebridge. When I stepped out of my car in the parking lot, it was 4:35 p.m. In the van next to me, were two children, approximately 1 1/2 years and 3 1/2 years old. They were strapped into their car seats and the driver’s window was left open a crack. The older child waved and smiled at me.
The parents must be close by, I thought. You don’t leave your kids in the car alone.
I went in the store, did my shopping and came back out at 4:55. The kids were still alone, in the car, only now the younger one was screaming and the older one was out of the car seat, playing with the door locks and opening the car door. I decided to stay around for five more minutes and then call the police.
Thursday wasn’t as warm as the earlier part of the week, but it was still warm in a closed-up vehicle. After another five minutes, I started to walk into the store when a young woman came out and started walking toward me. I asked her if those were her kids in the car and she said yes, are they crying?
I replied: “Don’t leave your kids in the car,” to which she said thank you. In other words, mind my own business.
I have to ask you, young lady, with the vanity licence plates, what were you thinking? Your children had red, flushed cheeks from the heat in the car. Your older son could have jumped out and been hit by a car, wandered off or been picked up by a stranger. Surely, you know better than that.
People get outraged when they see animals left in the car and call the police. If you don’t want to take your kids into the store with you, leave them with a babysitter. Think, think, think!
Next time, I’ll call the newspaper as well as the police and have a picture taken of the situation with your vanity plates in full view.